1982 AFC ESCORT CHAMPIONSHIPS

The 1982 series was the fourth AFC national competition and marked the beginning of a downsizing of the series that would continue until its final season in 1986.

The inaugural competition in 1979 had featured 23 teams, followed by 34 teams in 1980 and 1981. Ultimately, this full-scale competition was so unwieldy that in 1982 the series was pared-back to 18 teams (all 12 VFL clubs plus the top three SANFL and WAFL clubs from the previous season). This reduced the number of matches from 35 to a more manageable seventeen.

As a result of these changes the two qualifying rounds of previous seasons were cut to just two qualifying matches between the SANFL and WAFL's second and third-ranked teams, with each league's top team entering the competition directly in the first round. Additionally, the State representative teams were moved to their own round-robin competition worth $25,000 and named the Escort Shield.

THE SWANS DEFY THE ODDS

Prior to the 1982 season South Melbourne were a club in crisis; bleeding money off-field and starved of success on-field with just two finals matches to their credit since 1945 (losses in 1970 and 1977).

On July 1st, 1981 the South Melbourne board proposed a partial move to Sydney in 1982 with 11 home games to be played at the SCG and 11 away games to be played under lights at VFL Park. On July 29th the VFL approved the proposal, leading to months of political turmoil led by the newly-formed Keep South at South group.

In October the VFL refused to back-down from their earlier decision to support the proposed move and on October 16th the players publicly reaffirmed their desire to play in Sydney. Strike action followed and by December 11th the South board had resigned, allowing the relocation to proceed. [The South to Sydney Saga]

Despite playing their home games at the SCG in 1982 the club was still officially South Melbourne, leading to a special request to change its name because of a perceived "identity crisis". On June 2 VFL Directors agreed to the first name change in League history, formally renaming the club The Swans (this was later officially changed to the Sydney Swans prior to the 1983 season). [The Sun News Pictorial, 3-6-1982, p.67]

1982 Night Series Grand Final programme (private collection)

The Swans' premiership season resulted in a mid-table finish but their night series campaign was a very different story. Their opening match was a 115-point drubbing of WAFL club South Fremantle, followed by a hard-fought 8 point win over a struggling St Kilda side.

By the time of their semi-final against Richmond on July 6th, the Swans had discovered a rich vein of form and had little trouble disposing of the ladder-leading Tigers by 53 points. They entered the final on a five-game winning streak across both competitions and overran North Melbourne, kicking 4.4 to 0.3 in the final quarter for a 32-point win and their first senior premiership since the 1960 Night Series.

The day after the final, the AFC Board announced they would present a premiership flag for the first time with President, Allen Aylett declaring the board: "would be pleased to see a premiership flag carrying the AFC logo flying in Sydney." [Sydney Morning Herald, 22-7-1982, p.30] The flag was later flown from atop the Sydney Town Hall (see photo later in this article).

QUALIFYING

DATE

TEAMS

1/4

1/2

3/4

FINAL

MARGIN

VENUE

DAY/TIME

CROWD

Mar-13

Swan Districts (WA-3)

3.3 (21)

8.7 (55)

11.12 (78)

21.14 (140)

38

Subiaco Oval, Perth

Sat (D)

-

Glenelg (SA-2)

2.2 (14)

3.6 (24)

10.10 (70)

15.12 (102)

Mar-13

South Fremantle (WA-2)

4.0 (24)

4.6 (30)

13.14 (92)

18.16 (124)

52

Football Park, Adelaide

Sat (D)

-

Norwood (SA-3)

0.2 (2)

5.6 (36)

7.9 (51)

10.12 (72)

ROUND 1

DATE

TEAMS

1/4

1/2

3/4

FINAL

MARGIN

VENUE

DAY/TIME

CROWD

Mar-09

Fitzroy

1.2 (8)

5.6 (36)

11.10 (76)

12.13 (85)

35

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue (8:40pm)

10,568

Geelong

4.2 (26)

5.2 (32)

6.4 (40)

7.8 (50)

Mar-16

Carlton

1.3 (9)

5.3 (33)

8.9 (57)

14.16 (100)

64

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue (8:40pm)

6,220

Port Adelaide (SA-1)

2.0 (12)

4.1 (25)

5.5 (35)

5.6 (36)

Mar-23

Melbourne

2.3 (15)

5.6 (36)

7.9 (51)

12.12 (84)

43

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue (8:40pm)

6,859

Hawthorn

2.2 (14)

2.3 (15)

3.3 (21)

6.5 (41)

Apr-06

North Melbourne

2.2 (14)

4.5 (29)

10.7 (67)

18.13 (121)

44

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue (8:40pm)

4,552

Claremont (WA-1)

1.5 (11)

3.6 (24)

7.10 (52)

11.11 (77)

Apr-20

Swan Districts (WA-3)

3.1 (19)

6.4 (40)

9.6 (60)

13.9 (87)

10

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue (8:40pm)

6,504

Collingwood

0.4 (4)

4.5 (29)

9.8 (62)

11.11 (77)

Apr-27

Richmond

2.0 (12)

6.2 (38)

9.3 (57)

10.6 (66)

48

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue (8:40pm)

6,958

Essendon

2.1 (13)

2.1 (13)

2.2 (14)

2.6 (18)

May-04

St Kilda

1.3 (9)

4.5 (29)

12.10 (82)

16.14 (110)

63

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue (8:40pm)

4,628

Footscray

3.4 (22)

3.7 (25)

4.8 (32)

6.11 (47)

May-11

South Melbourne (Sydney)

7.3 (45)

10.8 (68)

17.12 (114)

24.16 (160)

115

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue (8:40pm)

4,752

South Fremantle (WA-2)

0.0 (0)

1.1 (7)

2.7 (19)

6.9 (45)

QUARTER FINALS

DATE

TEAMS

1/4

1/2

3/4

FINAL

MARGIN

VENUE

DAY/TIME

CROWD

May-25

Carlton

2.2 (14)

3.4 (22)

9.8 (62)

12.14 (86)

6

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue (8:40pm)

7,063

Fitzroy

3.3 (21)

6.7 (43)

10.7 (67)

12.8 (80)

Jun-01

North Melbourne

3.6 (24)

5.9 (39)

10.14 (74)

11.16 (82)

12

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue (8:40pm)

4,228

Melbourne

0.2 (2)

4.5 (29)

5.7 (37)

10.10 (70)

Jun-08

The Swans (Sydney)

2.3 (15)

4.4 (28)

7.6 (48)

8.11 (59)

8

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue (8:40pm)

4,761

St Kilda

3.4 (22)

4.4 (28)

7.6 (48)

7.9 (51)

Jun-22

Richmond

4.2 (26)

9.9 (63)

20.11 (131)

33.16 (214)

186

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue (8:40pm)

2,688

Swan Districts (WA-3)

1.2 (8)

1.3 (9)

2.3 (15)

4.4 (28)

SEMI FINALS

DATE

TEAMS

1/4

1/2

3/4

FINAL

MARGIN

VENUE

DAY/TIME

CROWD

Jun-29

North Melbourne

3.3 (21)

6.5 (41)

7.10 (52)

13.12 (90)

29

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue (8:40pm)

5,642

Carlton

0.1 (1)

3.3 (21)

4.7 (31)

8.13 (61)

Jul-06

The Swans (Sydney)

2.8 (20)

5.11 (41)

9.13 (67)

13.17 (95)

53

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue (8:40pm)

4,955

Richmond

0.1 (1)

3.1 (19)

3.2 (20)

6.6 (42)

GRAND FINAL

DATE

TEAMS

1/4

1/2

3/4

FINAL

MARGIN

VENUE

DAY/TIME

CROWD

Jul-20

The Swans (Sydney)

4.3 (27)

6.4 (40)

9.8 (62)

13.12 (90)

32

VFL Park, Waverley

Tue (8:40pm)

20,028

North Melbourne

1.1 (7)

4.3 (27)

8.7 (55)

8.10 (58)

FIXTURE NOTES

Mar-30

No night series match due to the opening round in
the VFL premiership competition

Apr-13

No night series match due to the Easter split-round
in the VFL premiership competition

May-18

No night series match due to the SA-VIC state
game (May 17) being added to the VFL fixture - all night games were pushed
back a week

Jun-01

Originally Richmond-Swan Districts (moved to June
8 because of SA-VIC then to June 22 due to a schedule clash for St Kilda and
Sydney)

Jun-08

Originally St Kilda-Sydney (moved to June 22
because of SA v VIC then transferred back to June 8)

Jun-15

No night series match due to the Queen's Birthday
split-round in the VFL premiership competition

Jun-22

The St Kilda-Sydney night match was moved to June
22, just two days after these teams played each other in a Rd.13 VFL match

The AFC transferred the game back to its original
date of June 8 and moved Richmond-Swan Districts to June 22 instead

NOTABLE EVENTS

*Tigers feast on the colts - throughout this era, fixture changes and split rounds in the VFL premiership continually plagued the Night Series, causing AFC administrators to make numerous changes to the night schedule.

Usually this simply resulted in two quarter-final matches being switched to allow all teams involved at least a three-day break between games. However, the continued rescheduling of the Richmond-Swan Districts match in 1982 ended in controversy.

The match was originally scheduled for June 1st but all Night Series matches from the quarter final stage on were pushed a back week when a South Australia-Victoria interstate game was belatedly added to the VFL fixture.

The move to June 8th was of little concern to Swan Districts as it fell between two premiership matches against the WAFL's bottom two teams. The club went ahead with plans for that date, which included a function at their social club.

Shortly after the first rescheduling was announced in May, South Melbourne won their opening-round night match, setting up a quarter final against St Kilda on Tuesday, June 22nd. This created problems for both clubs as they were due to play a premiership match against each other two days prior on Sunday June 20th.

Without bothering to consult with Swan Districts officials, on May 19th the AFC announced the South Melbourne-St Kilda match would be moved to June 8th and the Richmond-Swan Districts game would be pushed back again, this time to the 22nd.

At the time of this announcement, Swan Districts were first in the WAFL competition and a night match on the 22nd would fall between premiership matches against the teams then placed second (Claremont) and third (West Perth) on the ladder.

Furious at the lack of consultation and concerned about the effect a mid-week trip to Melbourne would have on their premiership chances, Swan Districts initially responded to the AFC announcement by threatening to forfeit the night match. However, by June 1st the club had agreed to send a full-strength team to the match.

Ultimately they chose to renege on the deal, sending a hugely inexperienced squad of 21 Reserves and Colts players to face the VFL's ladder-leading Tigers. The Swan Districts line-up had an average age of just 19 years and had played a combined total of 69 senior games.

Welcome to Sydney! The inaugural AFC premiership flag flies from the Sydney Town Hall (VFL Football 1982, published by the VFL, edited by Ian McDonald)

Although the first half was one-sided the damage had been restricted to a relatively respectable 54-point margin at the main break. Inevitably, the floodgates opened in the second half with Richmond piling on 24.7 to just 3.1 for a record-breaking 186-point win. Richmond full-forward Michael Roach led the scoring (and equalled the night series record) with a 10 goal haul... despite only entering the game at the 14 minute mark of the third quarter!

In the aftermath of the match, Swan Districts officials defended their actions, claiming they had not received any explanation for the two date changes and that the VFL had rejected out of hand a proposal for Richmond to travel to Perth on June 22 to play the match on Tuesday afternoon instead. It was because the club's executives were so offended by the "high-handed attitude of the VFL" that they sent a team of Reserves and Colts players to face Richmond. [The Age/The Sun News Pictorial, 20-5, 2/23-6, 16/22-7-1982]

A month later the AFC announced Swan Districts would be banned from the 1983 and 1984 night competitions. From a historical perspective, it could be argued that the ban was actually a positive for the club, allowing them to avoid midweek matches on the other side of the country and focus solely on the WAFL competition, where they won a hat-trick of flags in 1982-83-84.

*Clash of the jumpers #1: Collingwood versus Swan Districts - Swan Districts' uniform was very similar to Collingwood's modern-day uniform (a black jumper with white stripes). Under AFC rules a coin toss was held with the losing team (Collingwood) forced to wear a clash jumper.

Rather than wear the AFC-supplied red clash jumper with a white AFC logo, Collingwood designed their own; a white jumper with black yoke and black numbers (see image below right). This match remains the only time in their history a Collingwood side has not worn stripes.

*Clash of the jumpers #2: South Melbourne v South Fremantle - with both teams wearing near identical uniforms, a coin toss was held to decide who would wear the AFC-supplied clash jumper. Unlike their previous match in the 1979 Night Series, it was South Fremantle who lost the toss and donned the red jumper with white AFC logo.

*VFL Park, visibility zero - the last quarter of the Swans-St Kilda quarter final was played in heavy fog which reduced visibility to six metres and forced the Swans’ coach, Ricky Quade to head down to the boundary to observe the play. Frost also formed on the ground during the game, reducing skill levels dramatically. [The Sun News Pictorial, 9-6-1982]

*Swans hold the record... for six weeks - South Melbourne/Sydney's 115-point thrashing of South Fremantle broke the previous record winning-margin of 110 points (set by North Melbourne against the A.C.T. in 1979) with forward Michael Oaten playing a big part in the win with 7 goals. The Swans held the record for just six weeks, courtesy of Richmond's 186-point mauling of an inexperienced Swan Districts team in the quarter finals.

*Leading goalkicker of the series - Michael Roach (Richmond) led all scorers with 11 goals from 3 games (10 of those coming in the one match).

MATCH REPORTS

Listed below are match reports for all 17 games played during the series. This is the first time these reports have been collated and published online or in print.Unless otherwise noted the information was sourced from The Age and The Sun News Pictorial newspapers.